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 XXXV. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON A REMARKABLE SOLAR SPOT. 

 To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal. 

 Gentlemen, 



AS I believe the perception of a solar spot by the naked eye is of 

 very rare occurrence, and has even been doubted, I take the 

 liberty to state to you in corroboration of its truth, that I distinctly 

 observed a large obscuration or spot on the sun's disc with the naked 

 eye, appearing like a good-sized bean in shape and size, on Tuesday 

 last, Januar)' 25. The observation took place at 1^ SO'" p.m., the 

 sun's disc being of a blood-red colour at the time, owing to the in- 

 tervention of a haze or fog, which enabled the eye steadily to gaze 

 on it. The obscured part, viewed with telescopic powers of 60 and 

 120, resolved itself into two large central spots, stretching in a direc- 

 tion apparently parallel with the sun's equator, surrounded by a great 

 number of smaller spots, particularly on the north side. This mass 

 of maculae melted into the elliptical appearance seen by the naked eye. 



Perhaps in my ignorance I am overrating the rarity of this occur- 

 rence ; but as Herschel only once saw a similar spot with the naked 

 eye (in 1779), and I have not met with any recent accounts of such 

 observations, I have ventured to proffer my testimony to the truth 

 of the circumstance. Probably if the solar orb was more frequently 

 examined during a fog, more of these maculee might have been noticed. 

 Sunset or sunrise would also be favourable times for such observation. 



The earliest account we have of the observation of solar spots (at 

 least in modern times) appears to be that given by Hakluyt, from 

 the log-book of a ship on the coast of Africa in December 15S0, when 

 a spot appeared to the naked eye at sunset and sunrise, no doubt 

 owing to the denseness of the atmospheric strata diminishing the 

 sun's rays. The extract from the log is as follows : — " The 7th at 

 sunset we saw a great black spot on the sun ; and on the 8th, both at 

 rising and setting, we saw the like, the spot appearing about the size 

 of a shilling." This was before the telescopic discovery of maculae 

 by Galileo and others ; and the spot so seen might have consisted 

 of a collection of spots like that now visible. Trusting that you will 

 excuse my addressing you for the reasons given, 

 I remain. Gentlemen, 



Your obedient Servant, 



Edinburgh, Jnn. 2/, 1848. W. Pringle. 



P.S. Perhaps I may be allowed to add, that a very striking aurora 

 borealis occurred here on the night of Sunday, January 16, about 

 twenty minutes from 10 p.m., which though not so playfully varied 

 in its motions or hues as that of the 24th of October, presented a very 

 imposing appearance from its mass and the intensity of its glare. 

 It arose suddenly from the north-east, shooting rapidly u]) like a 

 majestic pyramid of flame. The I'edness resembled the reflexion of 



